Russian officials reiterated on Wednesday that no Russian citizen can be extradited to another country, effectively ruling out the possibility that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, could be handed over to the United States to answer for alleged crimes. In explaining this stance, the ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, stated that every Russian citizen has the right to rely on Russia’s support when facing unlawful attempts to press criminal charges abroad. The message was clear: extradition to the United States is not on the table.
The United States has signaled a different expectation. A spokesman for the State Department, Matthew Miller, acknowledged that Washington seeks to have Wagner Group’s leader answer for the charges filed against him in U.S. courts, citing jurisdictions in both Ukraine and Africa where the organization is active. This framing underscores the ongoing dispute over jurisdiction and accountability for those involved in the group’s activities across multiple theaters of operation. [Источник: Госдепартамент США]
The tensions escalated when Wagner Group, under Prigozhin’s leadership, launched a mutiny late on a Friday, seizing Rostov-on-Don, the city housing the southern command of Russia’s armed forces. The move appeared aimed at compelling the Defense Ministry to address grievances directly and to demand clarity from Russia’s top military leadership. In the course of these events, reports spoke of deadly action involving within the ranks, including a bombing incident that resulted in loss of life. [Источник: Министерство обороны РФ]
A day later, with a convoy approaching Moscow and the stakes rising, the situation shifted as Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko stepped in to mediate. An agreement was brokered to halt the rebellion, pardon the mercenaries, and arrange Prigozhin’s exile to Belarus. The outcome reflected a highly unusual intervention by a neighboring government in a domestic security crisis, and it left unresolved questions about the fate of the Wagner leadership and the broader implications for Russia’s internal balance of power. [Источник: Белорусское государственное агентство информации]
In discussing the episode, Zakharova emphasized that Russia plans to resolve the matter without external commentary. Her remarks suggested a preference for handling the crisis within the country’s legal and political channels. She stressed that those who voiced opinions or offered assistance would be remembered, and that the Russian state would chart its own course going forward. The public emphasis remained on sovereignty, national unity, and the avoidance of external interference as Moscow processes the fallout from the mutiny and its broader consequences for regional security. [Источник: Министерство иностранных дел России]